It's not how families affected by Tuesday's EF-2 tornado in Tangipahoa Parish imagined they would be spending their Christmas week, picking up the pieces after 100 mph winds damaged or destroyed more than a dozen homes.

"It was really incredible the people that showed up, we don't even know that's not from around here," said Bruce Cutrer.

Bruce Cutrer, the Tangipahoa Parish Fire District 1 chief, and one of several dozen storm victims said it's that outpouring of support that's helping to lift him and his family up.

"You have people who don't even know you at time like this, that they step up and do whatever they can do to help, it gets you right in the heart is what it does," Bruce Cutrer said.

Although it's not how he planned to spend Christmas morning, walking around his property, looking for things he can salvage, he's still not letting the piles of debris and big clean up still to be done ruin his entire day.

"As I have said on other occasions, we're going to have Christmas one way or another," Bruce Cutrer said.

Thankful there were no reported injuries, Cutrer said makes it a bit easier.

"We were blessed, the things we lost can be replaced, but lives can't" said Cutrer.

For Richard Cutrer, he's also counting his blessings this Christmas Day. He was on Highway 16 when the tornado crossed the road.

"You could see the trees beginning to fall over the road," Richard Cutrer said.

The twister's 100 mph winds moved his truck across the highway and shattered the rear window.

"Roaring of a freight train, you know it's a tornado," Richard Cutrer said. "Even inside a vehicle you can still hear it, just that loud, almost deafening.

"It was a 30-second ride he will never forget. "It felt like an eternity and all I could do is just hang on," Richard Cutrer said.

Two guys with a new appreciation for life and grateful to be alive spending the holidays with loved ones, even if it's not exactly how they imagined it.